Something Has To Change

Did you know that the United States’ electrical grid was not built to face today’s climate? In the past two decades, extreme weather events have accounted for 80% of power outages in the United States, leaving our system on the brink of failure. Even more alarming, standards and practices to prevent such damage to our electrical grid are readily available, yet we continue to utilize materials that are not built to withstand the elements of weather.

This can especially be seen in Texas, where extreme weather events have had life-threatening effects. Despite several improvements and efforts, such as individual inspections of critical electric and non-electric energy systems, the state’s infrastructure is continuing to experience increased stress and declining reliability and resilience. Updates to the state’s infrastructure should ultimately include using materials designed to withstand the elements and loads required by the most up-to-date standards and practices.